By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Don Roos
Starring: Bobby Cannavale | David Sutcliffe | Jason Ritter | Jesse Bradford | Laura Dern | Lisa Kudrow | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Steve Coogan | Tom Arnold
Country: united_states
Year: 2005
Running time: 128
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361693/combined
Hilary says: “I laughed all the way through this darkly funny ensemble piece. The cast is a shoo-in for Best Cast: Lisa Kudrow reminds us that she’s much more than Phoebe Buffay, Tom Arnold manages not to be completely annoying, Maggie Gyllenhaal sings, Steve Coogan inexplicably looks younger than ever, and Jesse Bradford redeems himself after HEIGHTS as an aspiring
filmmaker.
“Shoo-in for a Best Cast nom. 4 ½ cats (had to take a bit off for length)”
Michael says: “Don Roos’ indie follow-up (he took a Hollywood studio detour with the uneventful BOUNCE) to the much Chlotrudis-nominated THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, is a curious film that is rewarding ensemble piece that looks at the consequences of dishonesty and sex, with his trademark cynicism-wrapped sentiment. Lisa Kudrow opens the film dramatically
as Mamie flees from some unknown situation, tears streaming down her cheeks down streets and through woods until emerging suddenly in front of a carthat fails to stop in time. She’s not dead, an intertitle blithely informs us, this is a comedy, sort of. That sort of is what makes HAPPY ENDINGS work for me. I am a big fan of films that bend genres. HAPPY ENDINGS
is more of a drama that has many funny moments. Or, you might say this film is a comedy because of its happy endings. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into regardless. Mamie is an abortion counselor who gave up her own baby twenty-years ago. She is so consumed with a secret surrounding her absent child that her life is fairly sad. She’s sleeping with a Mexican masseuse (Bobby Cannavale) about whom she knows very little. When a scruffy Nicky (Jesse Bradford) appears on the scene with information
about the son Mamie gave up, she find herself blackmailed into helping him make his first documentary film. Mamie also has a somewhat estranged brother Charley (Steve Coogan) who is obsessed with the idea that his friends Pam and Diane have used his partner Gil’s sperm without telling him, to conceive their child. Meanwhile, there’s a child in Jude’s (Maggie Gyllenhaal) life as well, but since she slept with Otis (Jason Ritter) and his wealthy dad (played with remarkable restraint by Tom Arnold) she’s not quite sure whose it is.
“Despite the promised happy ending, Roos does a terrific job not following the sappy, commercial route. In fact, while all sorts of movie-driven craziness infuses these characters’ stories, there’s a lot of realism in their behavior and their actions. This is ably assisted by the almost uniformly top notch performances Roos gets from his cast. I must mention Lisa Kudrow leading the pack. She’s given a role that’s really complex, and has opportunities to shine both in comedic (which we know she can handle) and dramatic moments, and she hits it out of the park. Maggie Gyllenhaal is really building a nice indie career for herself, and Jude gives her an assertive, bad-girl to sink her teeth into. Steve Coogan loses the puffed-up self-importance of his last two roles (24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE; COFFEE AND CIGARETTES) and comes across a little lost and a little annoyed in his obsession to find the truth. I really enjoyed Laura Dern’s performance as Pam, a lesbian mom who is caught up in a tangled web of lies.
“HAPPY ENDINGS snuck up on me. For the first half of the film, I was enjoying myself, but was uncertain of how I was going to like the film overall. It seemed to be lacking something; but by film’s end, all the pieces came together remarkably well. My one small complaint was Roos’ liberal use of intertitles. Many were successful, some were not. One in particular annoyed me with its presence. It told us something that Kudrow’s performance was already telling us. Show, don’t tell, remember? Still it’s a small complaint, and only sacrifices half a cat. 4 1/2 cats”
Bruce says: “THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, Don Roos’ first film, was a breath of fresh air as it made fun of circumstances surrounding teenage sex, promiscuity, and loss of one’s partner due to AIDS. HAPPY ENDINGS takes on artificial insemination, confused sexual orientation, incest, the sexual attraction of an older woman and a teenage boy, and a father and son each sharing their bed with the same person. This time Roos has chosen complexity as his motif. His characters endlessly interact with one another in pretzel-like fashion. Roos handles them deftly.
“Much of the film is raucous frivolity. There is rarely a dull moment. Most of Roos’ characters are off-the-wall folks. One or two of them would be hard for an average person to find in a lifetime. Here we get to see them all in the course of two hours. There are some serious messages to be had in the midst of all this craziness but most but most get lost in caricature. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Jude is an exception. Her perfectly controlled performance is a delight but she is almost too good for the rest of the film. Jesse Bradford is also excellent as the teenage lothario. Others actors such as Bobby Cannavale and Jason Ritter are in a bit over their heads. As much as I hate to say it, Lisa Kudrow has too many traces of Phoebe (‘Friends’) which creep into
her role as Mamie.
“Roos has made a strange decision of popping up flashcards with printed words much in the style of silent films. Some flashcards create a subtext for the story; others tell us what will happen to various characters in the future. These annoying flashcard events detract wildly from the visual experience. One wonders if the narrative was too complex to be clearly edited and the flashcards were a means to save a failed project.
“Unlike THE OPPOSITE OF SEX which became discombobulated towards the end, Roos manages to tie up all the loose ends as its title would predict. The plot takes many a turn along the way, never allowing the viewer’s interest to wane. In spite of its flaws the film is very likable. Hats off to Roos for tackling so many issues and poking fun at them. He certainly made me laugh. 3.5 cats”
Barbara says: “I’m sure everyone is trying to see as many films as possible before nominations time. HAPPY ENDINGS should be on your list. It is a dark comedy with a great cast. Lisa Kudrow and Maggie Gyllenhaal both put in good performances. Bobby
Cannavale is a riot. 4.5 Cats”